MyGourmetConnection

The avocado often gets a bad rap for its fat content - 30 grams - but 26 grams are unsaturated fats, meaning it can help raise good HDL cholesterol and help your body absorb fat-soluble nutrients.

Avocado Varieties

Bacon - Mid-sized, green-skinned fruit available late fall into spring

Fuerte - Pear-shaped, large fruit available late fall into spring

Gwen - Oval-shaped, green-skinned medium fruit (similar to Hass but larger)

Hass - Most popular avocado variety, available year-round; dark green to black skinned-fruit with an excellent shelf life

Lamb Hass - Summer Hass variety, large fruit with pale green flesh

Pinkerton - Long, pear-shaped fruit available early winter into spring

Reed - Large, round fruit available summer into early fall

Zutano - Season opener, pear-shaped fruit with yellow-green skin, available September through early winter

Choosing & Storing Avocados

Select a plump avocado with the button of the stem still in place. Ripe avocados will yield to slight pressure. Avoid fruit with blemishes and dark spots.

To ripen an avocado, place it in a brown paper bag and store at room temperature for two to five days. To accelerate the process, add a banana or apple to the bag.

Ripe avocados can be mashed with lemon juice and frozen for four to five months.

If you discover that your avocado hasn't reached ideal ripeness, replace the pit and cover the exposed flesh with butter or margarine. The fat in the butter will protect the fruit and allow it to ripen further.

Thanks to their nutty, creamy flavor, avocados are an amazing and healthy addition to everything from salads to sushi. And what's better than fresh guacamole?

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